Improvement in bill-files



W. RUSSELL.

Bill-Pile.

Patented April 22, 1879.

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N- PETERS, 'PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHLR, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. nussELL, or GOBONA,NEW JERSEY.

- 'IMPROVEMENT IN BILL-FILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,588, dated April22, 1879 application filed February 7, 1879. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H, RnssELL,

of Corona, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain Improvements in Stub-Files for preserving letters,bills, and other papers in book form, of which the following is aspecification. The object of my invention is the production of aconvenient and shapely file for bills, letters, and other papers, inwhich the papers can be quickly and securely inserted, and from whichthey can, when desired, be as readily removed without injury to thefile.

1n the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved file. Fig.2 is a similar view of a set of the stubs enlarged. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of a stub and leaf ready to be connected together. 4 isa plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section, showing a tightening screw; andFig.6 shows a modified form of such screw.

My invention belongs to that class of files known as stub-files, whichconsist of a number of stubs or strips of paper, or other suitablematerial, bound together in covers. It has been usual to coat one sideof each strip with gum, to which, when moistened, the edge of the letteror other paper is applied, and thereby caused to permanently adhere. Bya novel construction of the stub l dispense with gummin g, greatlyfacilitate the insertion of the papers, and also admit of their readyremoval when desired.

In the drawin gs,let A A represent the stubs, which are suitablyfastened together at the back, a bunch or series of which is shown inFig. 2. The front edge of each stub is reflexed or folded back uponitself, as shown in Fig. 3, for the whole length of the stub, forming aflat book, a. B B are letters, bills, invoices, or other papers that itis desired to file, which I shall refer to as leaves! Before filing theleaves a flat hook, I), is formed on that edge of I each that is to .beinserted between the stubs,

of a similar character to the hooks to a on the stubs, with thisdifference, that the hooks to and I) must be turned in oppositedirections one upward and the other (lOWl1W2LlLl-EIS shown in Fig. 3.

The method of connecting the leaves B B with the stubs is shown in Fig.2. The rcflexed or hooked edge of the leaf is inserted between twostubs, is pushed back far enough for the books a and b to pass eachother, and is then drawn outward until the hooks engage, when the leafis securely held in place against all ordinary pulling-strains. Toremove the leaf it has onlyto be pulled up or down and drawn out at theends of the stubs.

To give the back of the stubs when filled a thickness equal to theirfront edges, I provide guards or thickeners c 0, of binders board orother suitable material, interposed, as shown, between series or bunchesof stubs, or, if preferred, between every two stubs. Index-leaves of theordinary forms may also be interposed between the stubs, and bepermanently secured thereto, if desired.

In Figs. 1 and 4, I have shown the stubs A A bound in book form intemporary or permanent covers 0 O. A number of stubs, A A, withinterposed thickeners c c, and with or without index-leaves, arefastened together at the back so as to form a solid block, which issecured in the covers G O in any suitable manner, that shown being bymeans of hinged embracing-flaps D D, and clamping or fastening strips orpins (1 d, of soft steel, passing through the stubs from one flap to theother, and their ends secured, asdescribed in my patent of July 3',1877, for temporary binder. In lieu of this method of fastening, anyother known form of temporary or permanent binder may be used.

I prefer to make the flaps D D as wide as or wider than the stubs A A,in order that their forward edges may confine the stubs and preventtheir spreading apart, in which case some of the hooks to or bmight bepulled out and the leaves B B released.

In. some cases it may be necessary to exert somepressure upon the flapsin addition to that of the fasteners used in binding, to cause them toconfine the stubs with suflicient force to keep the leaves B B frombeing pulled out. 1 provide for this purpose a screw, Ei,'(shown inFigs. 4 and 5,) its head being exposed above the upper flap, by turningwhich the flaps may be brought together with the necessary force. Theflaps D D should be of stiff strong ma terial, metal being preferable.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified arrangement of the tightening device,consisting of a C- spring, 0, embracing the flaps, and a thumb screw, E,passing through a threaded hole in the extremity of the spring andbearing against the flap.

One or more screws, E or E, may be employed, as may be deemed necessary.

The above-described tightening devices are especially useful when piecesof tissue-paper, such as press-copies, are to be filed, as, if folded afew times and their edges inserted between the flaps, they will be heldwith sufficient force.

To insure uniformity in turning down the edges of the leaves 13 B, aswell as-tofacilitate this operation, I provide agage, F, fixed on thecover or binder in some convenient position. This gage consists simplyof a strip of metal having its edge bent back in the same manner as thestubs, into which the edge of the leaf is inserted, and the leaf turnedover and folded down upon the metal. I prefer that the gage shall beupon the edge of and be in fact formed from one of the flaps, D, asshown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5.

When the stubs are contained in a temporary binder, as shown in Fig. 1,they may be removed when full and a new series substituted.

I claim as my invention- 1. As a file for letters and other papers, aseries of stubs, A A, fastened together at the back, and having reflexedor hooked front edges, on a, adapted to engage corresponding reflexededges 1) b on the letters or other papers, substantially as set forth.

2. A series of stubs, A A, having reflexed or hooked front edges, a a,fastened together at their backs, with interposed guards or thick; enersc a, so as to form a solid block at the back, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. A stub-file consisting of the stubs A A, having reflexed front edges,to a, secured together at their backs, with interposed guards orthickeners, and embraced between flaps D D of covers 0 O, substantiallyas set forth.

4. A stub-file composed of stubs A A, havin g reflexed front edges, toa, and suitable flaps D D, provided with a folding-gage, F, permanentlysecured to said flaps, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WM. II. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR O. FRASER, HENRY OoNNET'r.

